The Philippine National Police and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) on Monday joined forces to boost efforts against money launderers and terrorist financing in the country.
PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas and AMLC executive director Mel Georgie Racela signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will fully operationalize the newly-completed PNP-AMLC Fusion Center inside the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Sinas said the center will serve as the information sharing hub between the PNP and the AMLC to efficiently exchange information and intelligence, maximize resources, streamline operations, and improve the ability of the PNP and the AMLC to fight money laundering, terrorist financing, and other crimes by merging data from a variety of sources.
“Ito din ay papalakasin yung financial investigation hindi lang sa drug cases kundi pati na rin terrorist groups (It will strengthen the financial investigation not only in drug cases but also terrorist groups),” Sinas said.
He said part of the interfusion are offices of the Intelligence Group (IG), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Anti-Kidnapping group (AKG) and Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG).
“Doon po sila para kung kailangan ang coordination sa AMLC meron na specific office kung saan sila magmi-meet at magdi-discuss. Of course yung training enhancement capability ng personnel natin regarding financial investigation and data sharing po yun ang purpose ng MOA na yan (They will stay there so that if coordination with AMLC is needed they have a specific office where to meet and discuss. Of course, the purpose of MOA is training enhancement capability of personnel regarding financial investigation and data sharing),” he said.
MOA with PEZA
The PNP also signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the MOA with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) for the Ecozone Industrial Peace Program (EIPP).
During simple ceremonies coinciding with the traditional Monday flag raising ceremony at Camp Crame, Sinas formalized the IRR with PEZA Director General Charito Plaza.
Under the IRR, the PNP Police Regional Offices will designate police officers, including female police officers on the established PEZA Police Assistance Desk to address security issues and cater to complaints, queries, and other concerns in the workplace with the end in view of promoting industrial peace and respect for the rights of labor and management towards achieving a more conducive business environment in the ecozones.
Meanwhile, the PEZA will create its own police force that will undergo training focused on subjects related to police operations, crisis resiliency, civilian resistance, profiling, human relations, traffic violation/investigation, human psychology, community relations, IED (improvised explosive device) awareness and bomb threats management seminar and life-saving techniques.
“Alongside the battle against Covid-19, the greater challenge is to turn the economy into a healthy haven of progress,” Sinas said.
With this IRR, the PNP and PEZA will work together towards sustaining a competitive Philippine export industry through business-friendly policies and integrated without compromising public safety, he added.
The Joint Industrial Peace and Concerns Office, renamed as EIPP, was created for purposes of protecting labor welfare, labor rights, and productive industry gains, without sacrificing industrial peace.
It is also a law enforcement mechanism to address industrial crimes like pilferage, hijacking, and technical smuggling. (PNA)
